Writing a cheeseburger.

Over the weekend, Catherine and I drove up to Napa for a few days of rest and relaxation. And amidst the splendor of vineyards, the opulence of world class eateries and wineries, and under a blue sky and sun that would have felt right at home on the Cote de Azure, when lunchtime first rolled around on Saturday, we stood in line and waited 45 minutes for...

And this got me to thinking. If I could write the musical equivalent of a cheeseburger, I would be happy. In fact, this humble goal might just prove to be my Holy Grail. For a song that does what a cheeseburger can do is a rare thing. Every time you listen to it, you are brought home, you are served memories, you are at once familiar and surprised as the experience is both one you know so well, yet still find indescribably satisfying.

What's a cheeseburger song in my book? There are many, but these spring to mind: Lodi, by Creedence (hell, ALL Creedence classics are cheeseburger songs); Brown Sugar, by the Rolling Stones; The Night Before, by the Beatles; One, by U2; Lady, by Trio.

There are many, many more, some newer, most older, simply by virtue of time, since classics are not instant. They require memory and experience, they require good times and bad. And I want to write one.